A new era is underway in Herndon. After two weeks on the job, Stephen Owen emerged from the "long shadow" cast by his predecessor, the retiring Ed Moore, as the recently appointed Owen was officially sworn in as Herndon's newest town manager on Monday afternoon.
With his wife Shelby, and their three young children along with a who's who list of local political leaders and community staffers looking on in the council's chambers, Owen took the Oath of Office from John T. Frey, the Fairfax County Clerk of Court.
"These are exciting times for Steve, his family and certainly for me, but the one concern I have had is the question of whose hands was I going to leave the reins in," Moore told the standing-room only crowd. "It's like putting a new rider on a great horse. Is he going to spur the horse or guide him gently?"
After two weeks, working side by side, Moore said he was confident the town had chosen an able successor. "Already, he has begun to take the reins ably," he said. "I leave with the feeling of great ease and comfort that the ship will be steered along the correct course. Bon Voyage, Steve."
Calling Owen, "a new member of the Herndon family and a key member of our leadership team," Mayor Richard Thoesen welcomed the new town manager and officially introduced him to his staff and the community.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, Owen thanked the crowd for their support and said he looked forward to getting to work for the town. "Keeping the machine well oiled is important," he said. "I want to be successful for the coach, the owners, the players and the fans."
"Herndon is in great shape," he said. "There is nothing in need of miracles and nothing drastic which is good, because I don't do miracles and drastic always blows up in your face."
Thoesen spoke of his background in management and told the audience that Owen was in for a difficult lesson. "I know that it can be tough to realize that you need the employees a lot more than they need you."
One of those employees, Henry Bibber, the director of the public works department, said he was excited about Owen. "It's clear we are getting a great leader," he said. "I am very excited."
For his part, Owen has consistently praised his new staff and said it was one of his deciding factors in taking the job. In addition, he called his two weeks with Moore, a "real invaluable gift."
"Things aren't broke here and we have an amazing staff already in place," he said from his new office on Friday, promising a seamless transition. "The town didn't hire for change. They were looking for another coach like Ed [whom Owen called 'Mr. Herndon'], someone who is motivated and has vision."
But Owen acknowledged that it is only natural for organization to evolve and change over time. "I guess we will see what evolves."
One explanation for whatever evolution takes place on Owen's watch would be his lack of direct ties to the community. Unlike many past hires and appointments, the mayor and council did not hire or promote from within. Most recently, Owen had been working as a real estate manager for a Loudoun County corporation.
"Obviously," Owen said on Friday, " I have a lot to learn, but I will be coming at the issues that our community faces with a new set of eyes."
MUCH OF WHAT will presumably evolve over the course of Owen's first few years is already on a track. From the Cultural Arts Center to the Neighborhood Resource Center to Phase IV of the Herndon Community Center, to name a few, Herndon is embarking on an ambitious downtown redevelopment project. Owen could not be more excited. "I really like building things," he said. "I like everything about it from hiring the architect to viewing the site plans, I love the process."
More importantly for the town officials that appointed him, Owen has a history of building things. From landfills in Frederick County to a library and park in Powhatan, the mayor and the council were impressed by Owen's record of accomplishment for shepherding building projects.
In the nearly three weeks since Owen was first introduced at the Jan. 8 work session, the former Powhatan County administrator, has been working closely with Moore to learn about the job, the community and the culture of Herndon. "Ed has been invaluable," Owen said in a recent interview. "The insights into the people, the culture and the town have been so helpful. He has been so generous with his time and his knowledge."
While Monday's swearing-in was the first chance for many in Herndon to size up their new town manager, the boyish looking father of three showed his ease with a microphone and his subtly dry sense of humor.
"It's nice to be sworn in today," Owen joked to the crowd, "because by next Sunday or Monday, I figure I will be sworn at."
One of Owen's "mentors," John Reilly, a longtime county administrator for Frederick County and a former boss to Owen, came to wish his former assistant administrator well.
"Herndon is getting a great person, a true professional and a great communicator," he said. "He will look after Herndon's best interests, absolutely."
Owen, a native of Wakefield, Va., is currently living in Alexandria and in the last week, he and his wife have started house hunting in
Herndon. "Our goal is to have a house sometime during the summer and before the first day of school." Even with the home tour, Owen's predecessor has come through, he said. "Ed knows all the homes with leaky basements," he said, adding he now knows which homes in town to avoid. "Ed has shared everything with me."